Faith Baptist Church Celebrates over 50 Years of Ministry in Princeton, Texas. On Sunday, November 14, 1971, 26 people met in the Combest Building on the north side of Highway 380 for the purpose of discussing the organization of a new Baptist Church. On December 1, 1971, the decision was made for the church to become a Southern Baptist Church. In the following months, an interim pastor was called and the land where the current structure stands was purchased.
The first revival of Faith Baptist Church was held in a tent on the north side of Highway 380 just west of Citizens State Bank. Rev. Don Page preached and Mr. Glenn Whitworth led the music for the meetings which produced three professions of faith. The baptismal services were held in Lake Lavon. On August 20, 1972, Rev. L.B. Flanigan from Kingfisher, Oklahoma, preached his first sermon as full time pastor of Faith Baptist Church. There were 78 charter members of Faith Baptist Church. On October 16, 1972, the petition to make Faith a member of both the Collin County Baptist Association and the Southern Baptist Convention was presented to and accepted by the 87th Annual Session of the Collin County Baptist Association. The groundbreaking ceremony for the present church structure took place on November 12, 1972, and on June 30, 1973: "After a week of very hard work by the members and by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, our beautiful House of God is finished. Words cannot describe how happy we are to be in it at last" (Jean Rae Cantrell, June 30, 1973).
On February 26, 1995, Faith Baptist Church broke ground on a new educational building which would house class rooms for children and youth, as well as new nursery facilities and a preschool area. The foundation was poured on March 22, 1995. The dedication service was held on Sunday, June 11, 1995. Prayers were answered that the building was completed in time for the Vacation Bible School scheduled for June 13-16, 1995. The Faith Family Center, a fellowship hall and activities center, was added to the church's facilities in the Fall of 1998. The Sanctuary was expanded at that time also.
In 1996 Faith Baptist Church adopted this Mission Statement: Faith Baptist seeks to be a Loving, Praying Church that Leads the Lost to Christ Jesus, Builds Up His Body of Believers, and Gives Glory to God in All that We Say and Do. (Colossians 3:17).
In 2003, after many months of prayer, Faith Baptist purchased a 6.3 acre plot of land behind its current property for future expansion. Construction for a new Worship Center began in the summer of 2005. This would enable Faith to keep up with a quickly expanding ministry field as Princeton had begun to grow.
Faith Baptist has grown from a Bible Study with 26 people in 1971 and 78 charter members in 1972 to an average attendance of 150 in Sunday School and around 200 in Morning Worship and Kid's Church. Through the years we have witnessed the baptisms of over 450 souls and have received over 4 million dollars for the Lord's work, much of that going to support mission work at home and abroad. God continues to bring people from all over the world to join with Faith in worship and ministry.
God has called several men to pastor or interim pastor Faith, including Tom Rector, L.B. Flanigan and Peck Williams in the 70's, Pat Andrew, Bob Herod, Rocky Pope, and Lynn Cypert in the 80's, and Tim Timian, Errol Bosley, and Stan Fike in the 90's until now. Faith Baptist has seen lives touched and changed for eternity by the power of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And we know that He isn't finished with us yet.
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:3-6)
"To God be the Glory, Great things He hath done!"